Warbling musical whistle



1961 J. H. BACON 2,996,839

WARBLING MUSICAL WHISTLE Filed Jan. 17, 1958 WEMLYVENTOR. BY W K United States Patent 2,996,839 WARBLING MUSICAL WHISTLE John H. Bacon, 177 Milk St., Wellesley Hills, Mass; Robert C Bacon, administrator of said John H. B'acon, deceased Filed Jan. 17,1958, Ser. No. 709,705 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-179) The present invention relates to a warbling musical whistle of the general type disclosed in my previous United States Patents Nos. 2,654,179, issued October 6, 1953; 2,667,012, issued January 26, 1954; 2,697,298, issued December 21, 1954; and 2,730,920, issued January 17, 1956, as well as copending application Serial No. 564,817, filed February 10, 1956, now Patent No. 2,927,399.

This invention is particularly directed toward an improved modification of my previous invention. In this invention I provide a whistle having two resonant chambers adapted to be alternately interrupted by a pivotally secured oscillating stem. The present invention also provides a whistle construction in which the resonant chambers are cut to different frequencies of resonance, thereby providing a whistle in which a warbling sound of two different notes may be obtained.

The present invention further provide a construction for a warbling whistle in which an improved stem or oscillating member construction permits a greater certainty of operation with less effort.

These and other objects of-the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a partially cross section fragmentary view of the invention taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 shows a cross sectional elevation of a modi fication of the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated a whistle preferably made of plastic such as polystyrene or acetate. In this arrangement, the whistle takes the configuration of a circus-like tent with a pair of monkeys on a see-saw. The casing in tent form is formed of a front member 1 and rear member 2 secured together in face to face relation by suitable cementing means. If desired, a plurality of pins 3 formed as a portion of the rear member 8 may project forwardly through opening 4 in the front member 1. Thus by molding the front and rear members 1 and 2 respectively of different colors, the whistle as finally assembled may present more than one color on the face side of the whistle. Supporting the tent-like upper section 5 is a plurality of shafts or poles 6 extending upwardly from a rectangular base 7. The rectangular base 7 houses the resonant chambers 8 and 9 of the whistle. This rectangular base 7 has an opening 10 formed of a cylindrical tube 11 extending forwardly from the front wall 12 of the rectangular base 7. This opening 10 has connected to it passages 13 and 14. Passage 13 is formed by the bottom wall 16 and a wall parallel thereto at 15. Wall 15 extends completely across the base 7 from the front wall 12 to the rear wall 18. Wall 15 extends outwardly to a point short of end wall 20 and thence parallel to end wall 20 upwardly to a point short of upper wall 21. The end portion of wall 15 extends inwardly parallel to wall 21, A wall 22 extending from the upper wall 21 toward the bottom wall 16 effectively shortens the length of the resonant chamber 8.

Passage 14 is similarly formed to passage 13 by the walls 16, 23 and 21 which are continuous with one another and parallel to the inner wall 17, which, similar to wall 15, extends transversely across the base 7. The parallel walls 15 and 21 on the one hand and 17 and 21 on the other both terminate in an air opening 24 which extends across the base 7. Aligned with the open ends of the passages 13 and 14 on the other side of opening 24 are knife edges 25 against which air passing through the passages 13 and 14 may impinge unless otherwise impeded. It will be noted that resonant chamber 9 does not have a false wall such as is indicated at 22 in resonant chamber 8. Thus, resonant chamber 9 is larger and consequently will resonate at a lower frequency than resonant chamber 8.

Pivotally supported across opposite supports 6 is a stem 30. This stem may be centrally pivoted by a male and female pin 31 and 32 extending respectively from the rear and front members 2 and 1. These members 31 and 32 interlock forming a bearing shaft 30'. Stem 30 is provided with an opening 34 through which this shaft projects, thereby forming a pivotal support for the stem 30. The stem 30 should be pivotally supported at its center. This stern comprises an elongated member having a pair of lip 40 and 41 secured one at each end. These lips 40 and 41 each provide a downwardly extending flange 42 preferably angularly arranged to the length of the stem 30 at a slightly inwardly inclined angle. The lower edge of the flange 42 terminates in an inwardly turned lip 43. The upper edge of flange 42 may terminate in an outwardly extending shoulder 44. This stem is proportioned in such a manner as to permit lip 40 to dip into the opening 24 with the shoulder 44 engaging the upper edge of the wall 21 and the flange 42 interrupting the flow of air through the the open end of the passage 13 (and 14). It has been found that the inwardly turned lip 43 provides a substantial advantage in maintaining suitable oscillation of the stern.

For purposes of convenience an extension 50 is p-ro vided at the end of cylinder 11. This extension 50 permits the whistle to be blown at a distance in which the movement of the figures may readily be observed.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is provided a whistle having resonant chambers 60 and 61 These chambers are formed by enclosing walls which may also form, if desired, the front and rear of the whistle in much the same manner as the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. In this particular modification the walls 63 and 64 may be shaped in the configuration of a bird cage. Resonant chamber 60 has an opening 64' formed near the lower end, transversely from the front to the rear wall, with the upper edge of this opening providing a knife edge 63. Similarly, resonant chamber 61 is provided with an opening 66 and knife edge 67 positioned opposite and parallel to the openings 64' and knife edge 63. As illustrated in the drawings, the resonant chambers 60 and 61 form a continuous arch for an inverted U-shaped member. In order to make one resonant chamber smaller than the other, a partitioning wall 68 is positioned in a non symmetrical manner as illustrated. An opening, as indicated at 70, is provided in the face of the whistle for the introduction of air in much the same manner as opening 10 in the modification of FIGURES l and 2. This opening 70 is connected to air passages 71 and 72 which extend in opposite directions and terminate in constricted orifices 73 and 74 respectively at positions aligned with the knife edges 63 and 67 respectively. These passages 71 and 72 are formed by the wall members 78 and parallel walls 80 and 81.

A bird-like configuration 84 or some other similar configuration is positioned within the arch formed by the resonant chambers. This configuration 84 is formed of an enclosing wall member 85 open 'at its bottom at 86. Pivotally suspended by suitable means, such as illustrated at 31, 32 in FIGURES 1 and 2, is a stem 90, the stem being pivoted at end 9-1. This stem 90 extends downwardly through the opening 86 and has secured at its lower edge a cross member 95 preferably arcuate in cross section with the arc of the member 95 coincident with the arc described by the rotation of stem 90. At the outer ends of-this cross member 95 are upwardly turned lips '98 and 99 with these lips adapted to oscillate respectively into the openings 66 and 64' for the interruption of air passing through the constricted orifices 74 and 73.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

.1. In a warbling whistle a pair of resonant chambers eachhaving a constricted opening and an air inlet, and means forming a knife edge opposite and spaced from said inlet and adjacent said opening, a stem having a cross member at one end forming therewith a substantial T-shape, means pivotally supporting the other end of said stem in a manner adapted to permit pivotal movement of the ends of said cross member between said edges and constricted opening.

2. In a warbling whistle means forming a pair of symmetrically arranged resonant chambers With each having an opening and an air inlet, means forming a knife edge opposite and spaced from said inlets and adjacent said openings, a stem having a member at one end, means pivotally supporting said stem on an axis of symmetry with respect to said openings with said member positioned to be moved between said constricted openings and edges on pivoting said stem.

.3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cross member is formed with a lip at each end with the lips extending angularly away from said air inlets.

4. In a warbling whistle having means forming first and second resonant chambers each with an air inlet, an adjacent opening and knife edge opposite each inlet, a

stem having first and second members extending angularly from one end thereof, means pivotally supporting said stem at one end for pivotal movement of said first and second members through said openings and between said inlets and edges of said first and second chambers respectively, and a lip formed on each member at the end thereof and positioned in a direction away from said in lets.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said supporting means pivotally support said stem intermediate its ends, with each end having one of said members adapted to be pivotally moved into said openings.

6,. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the volumes of said resonant chambers are diiferent.

v7. A device as setforth in claim 2 wherein said openings and knife edges are substantially coplanar and said member is principally formed as an arcuate cross member integral with said stem.

8. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein respective openings and knife edges in each of said chambers are in substantially parallel relation to a plane of said stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 632,184 Johnson Aug. 29, 1899 998,985 Proctor July 25, 1911 2,056,623 "Scott Oct. 6, 1936 2,506,039 Sivitz May 2, 1950 2,654,179 Bacon Oct. 6, 1953 2,667,012 Bacon Jan. 26, 1954 2,697,298 Bacon Dec. 21, 1954 2,730,920 Bacon Jan. 17, 1956 2,777,251 Bailey Jan. 15, 1957 

